Stuffing-box.



` WITNESSES:

HOWARD E. PIERCE, OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK.

STUFFING-B OX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1'7, 1907.

Application filed Jun 22,1907- Selial N0. 380,248.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD E. PIERCE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elmira, in the county of Chemung and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stuflng- Boxes, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to improvements in stuiifing boxes for valves, cylinders, and the like; and more particularly to stuffing boxes adaptable for use in connection with valve stems, piston rods, and the like, operating under steam or other iiuid pressures; my object being to so arrange the parts of the device that the stuflng box may be readily packed when under pressure.

I attain my object by arranging the device in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which I have shown a section through a valve cap having my improved stuffing box applied thereto.

The valve cap A is such as is ordinarily applied to any oi the common orms oi gate valves; or it might be the head of a cylinder, or a cap-oi any other form. This cap is provided with a stuthng box at B, through which the valve stem C passes. At the outer end oi the stuiiing box I provide a chambered cap D, the rim of which is clamped against the outside iace of the stuffing box by means of the stud bolts E, the cap being set up snugly against the stufling box by means oi nuts applied to the outer ends oi said bolts.

The diameter of the chamber in the cap D corresponds with the diameter of the bore of the stufiing box; and screwed into the outer end of this cap is a follower F, which lits around the valve stem and is provided at its inward end with a head G, which ts the corresponding. bores of the chamber and stuiiing box. Spanner holes, at the outward end of the iollower, are provided for turning it, to advance or retract the head G in operating the device. x

H represents a packing ring of any approved form.

To pack the stem, when under steam pressure, the' the valve stem, which can be readily done by means oi packing hooks, while the steam is escaping; these packing rings being pressed back into the chamber in the cap. The pressure of the escaping steam assists in so inserting the rings. When suiiicient packing rings have been inserted in the chamber to properly ll the stuiiing box, the cap is again pushed into position against the stuiiing box, and set up thereagainst by means ofthe nuts applied to the studs E. The iollower F is then screwed in, thereby forcing the packing rings from the cap into the stuffing box, and compressing said rings until the joint is made steam tight.

While I have described this device herein as applied to packing a steam joint around a valve stem, it will also be understood that it may be applied equally Well for packing any other similar joint, and where other iiuids, such as gas and water, under pressure are employed. As the packing wears away, the joint is kept tight by setting upthe follower from time to time, until the packing is used up and it becomes necessary to renew it. and the stuiing box can be readily broken at any time, as it is oi such a nature that it cannot corrode and stick. This cap and follower may readily be substituted for the ordinary form o packing gland, as will be readily understood by those familiar with the art.

What I claim as my invention isz- 1. The combination, with a stuffing box, of a cap having a chamber of the same diameter as the stuing box, a fol lower in said chamber adapted `to be projected into the stuffing box, means for fastening the cap upon the stufing box with the chamber in register therewith, and means outside the cap for advancing and retracting the follower. 2. The combination, with a stuing box, of a cap having -a chamber of the same diameter as the stuiing box, a follower in said chamber adapted to be projected into the stufiing box, said follower passing out through the outer end of the cap and having screwthreaded engagement therewith, means outside the cap for turningthe follower in either direction, and means for fastening,` the cap upon the stuhing box with its chamber in register therewith.

In testimony whereof I have axed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

HOWARD E. PIERCE. Witnesses:

A. S. DIvEN, M. E. Vnnnncx.

The joint between the cap D 

